• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Monarchs-Sky Preview

Jun 29, 2009 - 6:07 PM By KATE HEDLIN STATS Writer

Sacramento (1-7) at Chicago (5-3), 8:00 p.m. EDT

Even their worst offensive performance of the season couldn't keep the Chicago Sky from extending the best home start in franchise history. The WNBA's worst team may not be able to stop them, either.

The Sky look to improve to 5-0 at the UIC Pavilion on Tuesday when they take on the Sacramento Monarchs, owners of the league's worst record.

Chicago (5-3), which hasn't finished with a winning record in its first three seasons of existence, is in second place in the Eastern Conference, one game behind Indiana. Almost all of that success can be attributed to the Sky's play at home, where they improved to a franchise-record 4-0 on Saturday, beating Washington 68-63.

The Sky won despite shooting a season-low 37.5 percent for the game, and scoring only eight points in the opening quarter. Candice Dupree led the way with 23 points, while Jia Perkins added 14 points and eight steals, and Sylvia Fowles had 13 points and 10 rebounds.

"It's nice to have more than one player who likes to put the team on her back," Dupree said. "Syl had some huge rebounds and I was trying to crash the offensive boards. It was a total team effort."

Chicago's effort has been vastly improved at home, where it went 17-34 over its previous three seasons. The Sky are averaging fewer points at home (72.8) than on the road (79.3), but they are giving up an average of 26 fewer points at the UIC Pavilion.

"This year we're more consistent (at home)," Fowles said. "Anytime last year it might have been 'Yeah, whatever,' but we're very focused this year and want to win."

Fowles and the Sky could have an easy time against Sacramento (1-7), which is winless in five road games including the first three of its current five-game trip.

The Monarchs average 72.4 points per game - fifth-fewest in the WNBA - and they've been held to 69.0 points on the road. Sacramento has also lost five in a row overall, including an 86-72 defeat at Detroit on Sunday. It closes this trip Thursday at Minnesota.

The Monarchs haven't dropped six straight since an eight-game losing streak June 22-July 7, 2002.

"We're just trying to find a way where we can turn things around and win some games," guard Kara Lawson said. "We got a lot of experienced players so we can turn it around but we also know that if you get too far behind it's going to be hard to make a push at the end."

Lawson scored 11 points off the bench Sunday, while Rebekkah Brunson led the Monarchs with 16 points and seven rebounds. The Monarchs shot 37.9 percent - lowering its league-worst mark to 38.7 on the season.

Chicago and Sacramento split last season's two meetings, with each winning at home. The Monarchs hold a 4-2 edge in the all-time series, and have won twice in Chicago.

Dupree averaged 19.0 points and six rebounds in the two meetings with Sacramento in 2008.